Draft Mines Bill ready

Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter

The new draft of the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill is now complete and is expected to be presented to the Cabinet Committee on Legislation at the end of this month.

This was said by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development Mr Onesimo Moyo when he appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development yesterday.

The Bill has been on the table for nearly a decade to replace the Mines and Minerals Act that was promulgated in the 1960s.

“I am pleased to advise that we got a final draft from the AG’s drafting division last Friday,” Mr Moyo said.

He said after the Bill is dealt with by the Cabinet Committee on Legislation it would be brought before the full Cabinet and would then be gazetted for debate in Parliament.

In 2015, Parliament passed the Bill, but the President rejected it in 2018 after raising concerns that it had provisions that were ultra vires the Constitution, especially on property rights.

The rejected Bill gave precedence to miners over farmers when a mineral was found on agricultural land.

Stakeholders have called for the enactment of a new Mines and Minerals Act that will consider the developments that have occurred in the sector, especially the emergence of artisinal, small and medium sized miners, especially in the gold sector.

Acting Committee chairperson Cde Marko Raidza said the enactment of the new law was instrumental in the achievement of the US$12 billion mining industry by ensuring increased participation of indigenous players in the sector.